Background Information for All Groups
General Enzyme Background
Protein Structure
Citation:
Protein structure. (2010). Retrieved November 8, 2018, from https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/protein-structure-14122136
Role of Catalase Enzyme
Citation:
Goodsell, D. (2004, September). Catalase. Retrieved November 8, 2018, from https://pdb101.rcsb.org/motm/57
Important Vocab
Protein - any of various naturally occurring extremely complex substances that consist of amino-acid residues joined by peptide bonds, contain the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, usually sulfur, and occasionally other elements (such as phosphorus or iron), and include many essential biological compounds (such as enzymes, hormones, or antibodies)
Enzyme - any of numerous complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific biochemical reactions at body temperatures
Catalyst - a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible
Activation Energy - the minimum amount of energy required to convert a normal stable molecule into a reactive molecule
Substrate - a substance acted upon (as by an enzyme)
Active Site - a region on the surface of an enzyme whose shape permits binding only of a specific molecular substrate that then undergoes catalysis
Lock and Key Fit - A mechanism proposed in 1890 by Emil Fischer (1852–1919) to explain binding between the active site of an enzyme and a substrate molecule. The active site was thought to have a fixed structure (the lock), which exactly matched the structure of a specific substrate (the key). Thus the enzyme and substrate interact to form an enzyme–substrate complex. The substrate is converted to products that no longer fit the active site and are therefore released, liberating the enzyme. Observations made by X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the active site of an enzyme is more flexible than the lock-and-key theory would suggest.
source: A Dictionary of Biology 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004
Product - a chemical substance formed as a result of a chemical reaction
source: Biology Online Dictionary
Rate of Chemical Reaction - the speed at which a chemical reaction proceeds. It is often expressed in terms of either the concentration (amount per unit volume) of a product that is formed in a unit of time or the concentration of a reactant that is consumed in a unit of time. Alternatively, it may be defined in terms of the amounts of the reactants consumed or products formed in a unit of time.
Source: Britannica
Disruption - to interrupt the normal course
Homeostasis - a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group
Monomers - a chemical compound that can undergo polymerization
Polymer - a chemical compound or mixture of compounds formed by polymerization and consisting essentially of repeating structural units
Amino Acids - Chemically, an amino acid is a molecule that has a carboxyl group and an amine group that are each attached to a carbon atom called the α carbon.
Source: Scitable (Nature)
Alpha Carbon - The carbon that is next to the carbonyl carbon. (A carbonyl group is a chemical unit consisting of a carbon (C) and an oxygen(O) atom connected by a double bond. See the carbon in the below figure double bonded to the oxygen. The alpha carbon is the carbon directly connected to the carbonyl group.)
Source: Kahn Academy and Britannica
"R" Group - Each of the 20 amino acids has a specific side chain, known as an R group, that is also attached to the α carbon. The R groups have a variety of shapes, sizes, charges, and reactivities.
Source: Scitable (Nature)
Carboxyl Group (aka Carboxylic Acid Group)- Carboxyl groups are weak acids, dissociating partially to release hydrogen ions. The carboxyl group (symbolized as COOH) has both a carbonyl and a hydroxyl group attached to the same carbon atom, resulting in new properties.
Source: Pearson Education Inc
Amino Group - functional group that consists of a nitrogen atom attached by single bonds to hydrogen atoms.
Source: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. From Infoplease
Peptide Bond - A peptide bond is a chemical bond formed between two molecules when the carboxyl group of one molecule reacts with the amino group of the other molecule, releasing a molecule of water (H2O).
Source - Science Daily
Dehydration Synthesis - the formation of larger molecules from smaller reactants, accompanied by the loss of a water molecule. Many reactions involving dehydration synthesis are associated with the formation of biological polymers where the addition of each monomer is accompanied by the elimination of one molecule of water.
Source - Biologydictionary.net
*If not otherwise noted, definition sources are from Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online